Anatomically Correct Sleipnir

Sleipnir is Odin's steed - an eight-legged horse in Norse mythology. How and where to place its legs to make it faster than four-legged horses? What other benefits or drawbacks may arise from the additional legs?

Usually one would take its existence for granted - the gods made it that way. However for the sake of the question: what selection pressure would make evolution invent a horse like that and what conditions would support this feature?

Clarifications: Assume earth-like conditions (gravity, air pressure and composition, etc). Main focus should not be on Odin handwaving the beast into existence but the characteristics of such an animal and its development assuming evolution (besides benefits and drawbacks of such a design which could be discussed no matter how the creature evolved).

^{_{Odin rides to Hel, Source, released into the public domain}}

This question is part of the Anatomically Correct Series.

posted over 8 years ago

Ghanima‭

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